Method and device for saving people in distressin the sea

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method and a device for saving people in distress in the sea. Said device consists of a hawser which forms a hauling line with a sling fastened thereto, said sling being placed around the body of the person in distress in the sea. The aim of the invention is to provide a method, using simple means, of pulling the person in distress by means of the hauling line on the surface of the water, up to the crane hook that is located immediately above the surface of the water and of then fixing the hauling line to the crane hook, in such a way that said line cannot be paid back out and that the crane lifts the person in distress out of the water onto the deck by raising the crane hook. In other words: the invention aims to provide a connecting member between the crane hook and the rescue sling, which pulls said rescue sling by the hauling line up to the crane hook, so that it can be lifted out of the water and on board by the crane. The invention is characterised by the provision of a guiding or blocking device for the hauling line. Said device can be suspended on a lifting unit and is equipped with guide rollers for the hauling line, a support device for the guide rollers, a coupling device for the lifting unit and a hauling line brake which acts in the direction of operation and can be deactivated.

[0001] The invention relates to a method and a device for rescuing persons in distress at sea comprising a cable forming a heaving line and a loop at its end, which is to be placed around the body of the person in distress at sea.

[0002] To rescue persons in distress at sea, swimming or drifting in water, before the present rescue boats or inflatable life rafts are lowered from high-side [high-board] vessels onto the water and a cable forming a heaving line with a loop at its end, which must be placed around the body of the person in distress, is utilized in order to pull with the cable the person to the rescue boat and subsequently to lift the person with the force of two men into the rescue boat, from which he later is heaved on board either by means of a cable with its end wound about the body or a stretcher fastened on cables. An onboard crane can be of help here if there are devices on board with which a stretcher or a loop placed around the upper body of the person pulled from the sea can be fastened on the hook of the crane.

[0003] This type of rescue is time consuming and, in the presence of rough seas, dangerous for the rescuers and their rescue boat especially since often one of the rescuers must jump into the sea in order to place the rescue loop around the person in distress.

[0004] Since this type of recovery operation has also been found to be harmful to the circulatory system, Professor Schwindt initially developed a rescue double-loop for hauling in a person gone overboard with the aid of the rigging system of a sports sail boat (DE 43 26 557 C2), whose previous application range for sailboats and other low-board water craft could subsequently also be expanded by Professor Schwindt to include high-board vessels by providing a rescue lifting apparatus (DE 197 45 408 A1). The application capability of the rescue double-loop, which is gentle to the circulatory system, in high-board vessels thus became dependent on the presence of the rescue lifting apparatus, which is not available on most vessels at sea sailing under domestic or international flags.

[0005] However, on high-board vessels most frequently lifting apparatus of greater or lesser strength in the form of cranes, Davits or other models, are found which, however, have not been able to be utilized for the rescue of persons in distress since a cooperation of the cranes with their heavy crane hooks suspended on a steel cable or of a Davit or another lifting apparatus belonging to the vessel's superstructure had not been possible with the lightweight heaving line, and the rescue double-loop suspended on it, thrown out by hand and hauled in again.

[0006] It would be of great advantage to employ the lifting apparatus already available on board for hauling on board persons in distress at sea and to be rescued since this lifting apparatus, quite in contrast to rescue boats, can be made ready for use extremely rapidly and is always strong enough to haul on board not only the person in distress at sea but, additionally, also two rescuers with the same lift. Such a lifting apparatus furthermore has also for the application during loading of a vessel a boom of such length, or which can be extended to such length, that during the lifting of a person in distress at sea it cannot come into contact with the ship's side even in the case of heavy seas and storms.

[0007] The invention avoids the disadvantages of prior art. The invention addresses the problem of providing with simple means the capability of pulling the person in distress at sea with the heaving line on the surface of the water up to the crank hook disposed closely above the water surface, subsequently to secure the heaving line on the crane hook such that after the drawing-near it can no longer kick back and, in the following, to lift the person in distress at sea with the crane by lifting the crane hook out of the water and onto the deck. In other words: to provide a connecting member between crane hook and rescue loop with which the rescue loop on the heaving line can be pulled to the crane hook and can subsequently with the crane be lifted out of the water and be brought on deck.

[0008] The invention comprises providing a guidance or blocking device, to be suspended on a lifting apparatus for the heaving line, which is equipped with guide rollers for the heaving line, a bearing device for the guide rollers, a coupling device for the lifting apparatus and a switchable heaving line brake active in one running direction. With this apparatus the problem forming the basis of the invention is solved. The guidance and blocking device suspended on the crane hook is of such mass that when pulling on the heaving line it changes its position minimally if the guidance and blocking device is located closely above the water surface or on the water surface and the heaving line is drawn in by hand. Thereby the person to be rescued is initially pulled along the surface of the water up to the guidance and blocking device disposed closely on or in the water surface, in order subsequently to be able to be lifted out of the water after reaching this site with the force of the crane together with the guidance and blocking device. For hauling in the heaving line, during which the person in distress at sea is pulled along the surface of the water, only a low degree of force is required which can readily be applied by a person on deck. Lifting the person in distress at sea is more difficult, in particular since such lifting must occur together with the heavy rescue apparatus. This heavy work is carried out by the machine-generated force of the crane.

[0009] The heaving line passes through the cable guidance and blocking device to transport the person in distress at sea initially on a horizontal path. In this case the hazard is eliminated, which occurs without guidance and blocking device, that the person, with the increasingly steeper oblique position of the heaving line during the hauling process, emerges from the water surface in a wave valley and subsequently impacts against the ship side in a type of swing of the pendulum. The blocking device in this device ensures the prevention of the kick-back of the heaving line during the process of hauling in the heaving line. It is a device known from sports sailboats, which is utilized to prevent the kicking-back of a line secured on the halyard after it has been hauled in. It is a device which allows for the line to be pulled through in one direction without hindrance, however, for it to be blocked when pulled in the other direction. By means of a lever on this blocking device, the blocking effect can be switched on and off. The blocking effect is required especially when lifting the person in distress at sea from the water and during the vertical transport of this person from the surface of the water onto the deck. The blocking effect is of such magnitude that even several persons can simultaneously be lifted out of the water and upwardly onto the deck.

[0010] This rescue apparatus is extraordinarily rapidly made operational. While a member of the crew initiates the action of the inoperational crane, another crew member retrieves the guidance and blocking device, with the heaving line already drawn through it, from a box within reach on deck and suspends it on the crane hook. During the suspending process the heaving line disposed in said box ready to be thrown, with the rescue loop already coupled on, can be taken out and cast such that the person in distress at sea can already place the rescue loop over himself when the crane is still in the process of lowering the guidance and blocking device to the water surface, a process which is carried out within a minute. As soon as the person in distress at sea has pulled on the rescue loop, or a rescuer who has in the meantime jumped from the deck into the water has placed it on the person, the hauling of the heaving line starts which usefully is carried out manually by a person on deck, whereby the person in distress at sea is pulled over the surface of the water with the proper circumspection and care such that contact with the side of the ship is safely avoided, which could lead to severe injuries during rough seas. The cumbersome lowering of a rescue boat or a life raft onto the water, which during heavy seas is not without danger, and the cumbersome rowing to the person drifting in the water as well as the difficult recovery of the person pulled out of the water, of the rescuers and the rescue boat, become superfluous. The quick recovery of the person in distress at sea reduces the shock effect occurring in cases of such accidents, reduces the danger of hypothermia in the water, and guides this person more rapidly to care on board.

[0011] A simpler and more cost-effective structure of the rescue apparatus is attained thereby that the bearing device for the rollers and the blocking device is comprised of two parallel plates, preferably comprised of special steel, between which the rollers and the cable brake are disposed. Since this apparatus should be massive in order to carry out pendulum motions during operation only minimally and only slowly on the steel cable of the crane and to form a deflection site of maximum stability for the heaving line floating on the surface of the water and extending from the deflection site steeply upwardly, it is proposed to fabricate the plates of special steel and to implement them such that they are thick and stable.

[0012] It is of advantage if the bearing device for the guidance rollers and the brake is encased by a padding. Hereby the padding forms a protection for the person in distress at sea against injuries should he be hurled by heavy seas against this device, or a protection for the device itself if it should be hurled against the board by heavy seas.

[0013] This padding can be readily disposed on the apparatus during its construction and be securely fastened on the apparatus if the padding is accommodated in pockets, which are fastened on the outside of the plates of the bearing device with the aid of a further plate disposed in the pocket.

[0014] It is useful if the padding is comprised of a foamed material which lends the apparatus buoyancy in the water.

[0015] In order for the person in distress at sea as much as possible not to come into contact with the cable guidance and blocking device, it is advantageous if the heaving line carries a stopper above the fastening for the loop to be placed about the body of the person. This stopper is an object fastened on the heaving line, which prevents the further running-in or running-through of the heaving line through the cable guidance and blocking device.

[0016] In order to be able to deposit on deck, after the hauling-in, the person in distress at sea and to be able to detach him from the rescue sling, it is advantageous if the blocking device bears a lever for switching the brake on and off.

[0017] To maintain the state of health of the person in distress at sea during the rescue action it is especially important that the loop is comprised of two belts, one capable of floating and one not capable of floating, between which preferably a net is disposed since this rescue loop, in contrast to such with only one loop, is distinguished by being gentle to the circulatory system of the person to be rescued.

[0018] To reduce the danger of injury during the rescue process and to facilitate the operation of the rescue apparatus, it is advantageous if the lever of the blocking device is accommodated in a gap of the padding between the two plates of the bearing device.

[0019] In order to be able to haul on board rescuers who jumped into the sea in order to place the rescue loop with the same lift of the crane, it is useful if on the guidance and blocking device hooks are disposed for suspending one or several rescuers such that without loading the heaving line the rescuers with the rescued come on board and are not exposed to hypothermia and other dangers in the sea.

[0020] In the following the essence of the invention will be described in further detail in conjunction with an embodiment example shown schematically in the drawing. Therein depict:

[0021]FIG. 1 a representation of the rescue process,

[0022]FIG. 2 a guidance and blocking device in longitudinal section,

[0023]FIG. 3 the guidance and blocking device in cross section.

[0024] To solve the problem of recovering from a high-board vessel 1 a sailor 2 having gone overboard, the rescue apparatus is suspended on a crane hook 5 carried by a steel cable 3 of a crane 4, which rescue apparatus is comprised of a guidance and blocking device 6 and a heaving line 7, at whose end a rescue loop is suspended comprised of two belts 8, 9. Its upper belt 8 is capable of floating and is placed about the upper body of the person 2 in distress at sea, while the lower belt 9 is not capable of floating and sinks downwardly such that the person to be rescued can put his legs through the lower belt fashioned in loop form. Upper belt 8 and lower belt 9 are suspended with their two ends in a closable hook 10 at the end of the heaving line 7. When the person 2 in distress at sea is suspended in this manner in the belts 8, 9, a sailor 11 on board starts initiating the rescue process by hauling in the heaving line 7 which herein runs through the guidance and blocking device 6 without being blocked. Through the weight of the guidance and blocking device 6, which is lowered until it is close to the surface of the sea, the course of the cable is comprised of an approximately horizontal portion between the person 2 to be rescued and the cable guidance and blocking device 6 as well as an approximately vertical portion between the cable guidance and blocking device 6 and the sailor 11 hauling in the heaving line 7. During the hauling-in of the heaving line 7 its horizontal portion becomes increasingly shorter until the cable stopper 12 disposed close to the end of the heaving line 7 stops at the cable guidance and blocking device 6 since, due to its size, it cannot pass through this device 6. When the person 2 in distress at sea has been hauled in this manner to the cable guidance and blocking device 6, the latter together with the person in distress is lifted by means of the steel cable 3 by the crane 4 and consequently raised out of the water. Without the cable guidance and blocking device 6 the heaving line would herein have a tendency to kick back. However, this tendency is prevented through the cable brake 13 installed in the cable guidance and blocking device 6. While this cable brake 13 does permit the cable 7 serving as a heaving line to run through if the direction of movement is oriented toward the vessel, however, prevents any movement in the opposite direction. The braking force in this opposite direction is so great that one or several men, suspended free floatingly on the heaving line 7, can be lifted out of the water and be brought on board. By throwing a lever 14, the shoes 15, 16 of the cable brake can be moved apart and therewith the braking force can be discontinued. This takes place at the end of the rescue action on deck of vessel 1 in order to detach the rescued person from the rescue apparatus and to prepare the rescue apparatus and the heaving line 7 for another operation.

[0025]FIGS. 2 and 3 depict sections through the cable guidance and blocking device 6. The latter is comprised of two plates 17, which are preferably fabricated of special steel. These plates 17 carry bearings for the cable rollers 18, between which the cable 7 serving as the heaving line passes and is deflected. Between these plates is also installed the cable brake 13 with its brake shoes 15, 16, of which at least the one brake shoe 15 carries a toothing 19, which, due to its tooth form, bites into the cable 7 serving as heaving line if the cable 7 tends to run in the direction counter to the tooth direction of the toothing 19. Through the throwable lever 14, the brake shoes 15, 16 can be set so far apart that the cable 7 can pass freely between them.

[0026] The two special steel plates 17 are fixedly connected with one another by connectors not shown. On these or on the special steel plates 17 themselves, U-form suspension lugs 20 are disposed, into which the crane hook 5 is hooked.

[0027] The special steel plates 17 as the padding are equipped on their outside with pockets 21, filled with floatable foamed material into which plates 22 are placed, which are bolt-connected with the special steel plates 17.

[0028] But the feasibility is also given of lining the plates 17 directly with foamed material bodies of suitable shaping and therewith making the cable guidance and blocking device floatable.

[0029] Between the cable guidance and blocking device and the crane hook is advantageously disposed a so-called swivel, namely a device which makes possible the axial rotation about a vertical axis, in order to lend the cable guidance and blocking device free mobility about this vertical axis. However, this device can also be disposed between the suspension cable of the crane and the crane hook.

[0030] A net between the two belts does not interfere during the placement of the belts if no rescuer is in the water who can help in placing the belts. However, the net is of great advantage if an unconscious person must be recovered.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0031]1 High-board vessel

[0032]2 Sailor in distress at sea

[0033]3 Steel cable

[0034]4 Crane

[0035]5 Crane hook

[0036]6 Cable guidance and blocking device

[0037]7 Heaving line

[0038]8 Upper belt

[0039]9 Lower belt

[0040]10 Closable hook

[0041]11 Sailor

[0042]12 Cable stopper

[0043]13 Cable brake

[0044]14 Lever

[0045]15 Brake shoe

[0046]16 Brake shoe

[0047]17 Plate of special steel

[0048]18 Cable roller

[0049]19 Toothing

[0050]20 U-form suspension lug

[0051]21 Pockets with foamed material

[0052]22 Plates 

1. Apparatus for the rescue of persons in distress at sea comprising a cable forming a heaving line and a loop fastened at its end to placed around the body of the person, characterized by a guidance and blocking device to be suspended on a lifting device for the heaving line, which is equipped with guidance rollers for the heaving line, a bearing device for the guidance rollers, a coupling device for the lifting device and a disengageable heaving line brake active in one running direction.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bearing device for the rollers and the blocking device is comprised of two parallel plates, preferably of special steel, between which the rollers and the cable brake are disposed.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bearing device for the guidance rollers and the brake is encased by a padding.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the padding is accommodated in pockets, which are fastened on the outside of the plates of the bearing device preferably with the aid of a plate located in the pocket.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the padding is comprised of foamed material which lends buoyancy to the apparatus in water.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the heaving line carries a stopper above the fastening of the loop to be placed around the body of the person.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the blocking device comprises a lever for switching the brake on and off.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the loop is comprised of two belts, one floatable and one nonfloatable belt, between which preferably a net is disposed.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cable forming the heaving line is floatable.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the lever of the blocking device is accommodated in a gap of the padding between the two plates of the bearing device.
 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that on the guidance and blocking device are disposed hooks for suspending one or several rescuers.
 12. Method for rescuing persons in distress at sea by means of a cable serving as a heaving line, on whose end a rescue loop comprised of two belts is fastened, characterized in that the cable is guided through a switchable blocking device for the running of the cable, which is suspended on a lifting hook, the cable is manually pulled on board of the aiding vessel until the person to be rescued is hauled to the blocking device, and that subsequently the blocking device together with the person to be rescued is lifted out of the water with the lifting tool and brought on board.
 13. Method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the blocking device is suspended on the hooks of a crane and lowered until it is close to the surface of the water or lowered onto the surface of the water, that the cable with the rescue loop is cast to the person in distress at sea, who places the rescue loop around himself or around whom the rescue loop is placed, that the cable serving as a heaving line is preferably manually pulled in until the person in distress at sea has reached the blocking device, that subsequently the crane is activated and the person in distress at sea is lifted together with the blocking device over the upper edge of the side of the vessel.
 14. Method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the blocking device is padded on the outside and is formed similar to a fender.
 15. Method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the person suspended on the rescue apparatus and hauled on deck is detached from the rescue apparatus by actuating the lever of the cable brake.
 16. Method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the person suspended on the rescue apparatus and hauled on board is detached by uncoupling the loop from the cable serving as a heaving line and the rescue apparatus is subsequently detached from the crane hook.
 17. Method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that a rescue loop comprised of two belts is utilized and between these belts a net is preferably disposed. 